Why yes, yes I do. And I still use it too. I've got things on VHS that haven't come out on DVD yet, and probably never will. Plus I've got stuff on VHS that I just don't care to go to the expense of replacing with DVD.

Why yes, yes I do. And I still use it too. I've got things on VHS that haven't come out on DVD yet, and probably never will. Plus I've got stuff on VHS that I just don't care to go to the expense of replacing with DVD.

This. Stuff I bought back in the day and still watch once in a while, but not often enough to upgrade. Also, stuff I recorded.

I own a tablet. It is currently sitting with a completely discharged battery on the headboard, where it has been for weeks. Why?

* If I'm going to surf the web, my phone is always in my pocket and is "good enough".* If I'm checking my email, my phone is always in my pocket and is "good enough".* If I'm going to read a book, the last thing I want to do is stare at a bright screen; I use my Kindle with an e-ink display.* If I'm going to do any "real work", I use my laptop which is only slightly heavier than my tablet but has a real keyboard and a higher resolution display.* If I'm going to watch a movie, I watch it on my bigass TV.

In other words, I have yet to figure out what a tablet does for me. Watching a movie on a plane? I guess that's okay, but I can do that on my phone which I was going to take with me anyway so it's one fewer thing to carry through security. Play games? Phone has all the games I want....

cryinoutloud:Oh poor me. I don't own all the latest and greatest consumer products that some mega-corporation told me I "needed." Excuse me now while I die of shame.

Right. I don't need all those nick knacks. I have a desktop. That's all I need. No pads, no cells.

The worst thing is people bringing me their stuff and asking me to jail break it so they can make it work more like a desktop. I know someone that has a hacked Xbox/Xbox360, Playstation3, Android Phone/Tablet, Nintendo DS(flashcart). All hacked to do the same things as each other.

Keshire:The worst thing is people bringing me their stuff and asking me to jail break it so they can make it work more like a desktop. I know someone that has a hacked Xbox/Xbox360, Playstation3, Android Phone/Tablet, Nintendo DS(flashcart). All hacked to do the same things as each other.

iaazathot:SuperT: I don't need a 200$ big phone. It just doesn't fill a need for me.

^^^^^This^^^^^

I see the appeal for things like surfing in the bathroom or on the couch. Problem is, I can't type efficiently on those things unless you add a physical keyboard. Thus making it suspiciously like my actual laptop, only with no significant storage and far less overall power.

I'm not here to mock people who use tablets. I just personally don't see why I need to pay $500 to read the New York Times while I take a sh*t. I already have a smartphone for my lightweight, mobile data needs, and that actually fits in my pocket - so why else (except the aforementioned sh*tting convenience) do I need this?

Lord Dimwit:In other words, I have yet to figure out what a tablet does for me. Watching a movie on a plane? I guess that's okay, but I can do that on my phone which I was going to take with me anyway so it's one fewer thing to carry through security. Play games? Phone has all the games I want....

For me, the killer app for my Kindle Fire HD is digital comics. Comixology is supported across all of the major tablet platforms, and they are always running $0.99 sales on good stuff. If you have an iPad with a Retina Display, the comics look gorgeous, too.

They are also nice for anyone who does a lot of traveling for work. You are going to have to bring your work laptop with you, so it's nice to have a small thin device (that doesn't have to be removed from your bag when going through security, BTW) where you can do all of your personal stuff without having to bring along another computer. For me, the Kindle Fire HD is especially good because Amazon is always running sales on their movie rentals, so it is a nice cheap way to get an inflight movie. You can also hook up an HDMI out cable to your hotel room TV and then use the Amazon video like Netflix if you have Prime. For me, it is a really flexible device to keep myself entertained when I am on the road, since it lets me do books, comics, magazines, videos, and games. Some of it I can do with my phone, but the larger screen is much better for videos and some print content.

RedPhoenix122:I worry that more and more companies are going to all-in-one desktops, which prevents customization and upgrading.

Yeah, me too. All-in-ones are another tech trend I just don't comprehend. I mean, if it's designed to be stationary, what's the point in making it a eunuch? How about a laptop and an external 24-inch monitor? That way you can take the laptop with you if needed, even though it would be stationary most of the time. But you can at least take it to the couch when you're tired of sitting in that fart-haunted pit you call a computer desk chair. Hell, you even have two screens with that set-up (example, I keep my music player on the laptop screen and use the large one for working/masturbating). I don't get the logic behind the iMac, et al.

If I didnt get one of the firesale hp touchpads I probably wouldnt own a tablet. That said it replaced my broken laptop as my portable internet/netflix/other media device. I havent felt the need to replace the laptop since I got it.

I do not own a tablet. I know several people who do, and from observing them I have figured out that it is a solution in search of a problem.

* If I'm going to surf the web, I don't want to use a phone, pad, or tablet with their little, bitty, teeny, tiny screens.* If I'm checking my email... Actually, I do not check my email every five minutes. Three times a day is overkill. If you have to check email more than that, you're either important or you are insecure. There may be something needful in between those two, but I can't imagine what it might be.* If I'm going to read a book, I buy, beg, or borrow a book.* If I'm going to do any "real work," there is the desktop. It works much better and faster than a laptop and provides the visual space to accommodate two or three spreadsheets, three or four PDFs, four Word documents, a couple of email windows, and two or three web pages.* If I'm going to watch a movie, I watch it on the TV. Y'know, it seems rather odd that film makers are going all out to fill the screen with detail yet the tablet and phone zealots want to watch those films on screens that are the size of the televisions that came out in the forties and fifties. (Yes, I am that old.) We've gone from a two inch screen, all the way around the block, back to a two inch screen, and the people without memory think we have somehow magically "progressed."

In other words, I have yet to figure out what a tablet does for me.

Actually, even the phone is far more than I really need. All I really need in a phone is the ability to call numbers, remember numbers, store numbers, keep a calendar, and have a GPS (maybe five times a year?). What all that other stuff is for I have no idea. Why send text messages? Why not just call and actually talk to someone. To me texting has an underlying premise, "You are important enough for me to pester but not important enough for me to call and talk to. You're basically some kind of flopping appendage that needs occasional attention."

dickfreckle:RedPhoenix122: I worry that more and more companies are going to all-in-one desktops, which prevents customization and upgrading.

Yeah, me too. All-in-ones are another tech trend I just don't comprehend. I mean, if it's designed to be stationary, what's the point in making it a eunuch? How about a laptop and an external 24-inch monitor? That way you can take the laptop with you if needed, even though it would be stationary most of the time. But you can at least take it to the couch when you're tired of sitting in that fart-haunted pit you call a computer desk chair. Hell, you even have two screens with that set-up (example, I keep my music player on the laptop screen and use the large one for working/masturbating). I don't get the logic behind the iMac, et al.

Igor Jakovsky:If I didnt get one of the firesale hp touchpads I probably wouldnt own a tablet. That said it replaced my broken laptop as my portable internet/netflix/other media device. I havent felt the need to replace the laptop since I got it.

That suggests that you have a desktop as your primary workhorse, though. That, or your needs are so small that a tablet fulfills them. Which is fine. A tablet is a great idea if you already have a desktop and just want something to play Angry Birds on while vegging on the sofa. But if the laptop is already your primary machine and you have a smartphone for looking up things when mobile, I just can't justify the expense. I mean, the laptop easily goes from the desk to the balcony, kitchen, whatever. And again, I can actually type quickly on it.

Diagonal:Why send text messages? Why not just call and actually talk to someone. To me texting has an underlying premise, "You are important enough for me to pester but not important enough for me to call and talk to. You're basically some kind of flopping appendage that needs occasional attention."

Texts are for giving someone info without getting into a long drawn out conversation. If my wife wants to tell me to pick up some milk on the way home from work, she just sends me a text instead of having to call me just to tell me two words. Or if you're running a few minutes late, you can easily let someone know. It's basically perfect for short bits of information that you need to convey with an urgency that email just doesn't have.

My tablet lives in my kitchen. It's primary job it to play music (via A2DP to my stereo), to look up recipes, check the weather, tell me when the bus is coming, and settle trivia arguments. It does these things very well and was relatively inexpensive.

Keshire:cryinoutloud: Oh poor me. I don't own all the latest and greatest consumer products that some mega-corporation told me I "needed." Excuse me now while I die of shame.

Right. I don't need all those nick knacks. I have a desktop. That's all I need. No pads, no cells.

The worst thing is people bringing me their stuff and asking me to jail break it so they can make it work more like a desktop. I know someone that has a hacked Xbox/Xbox360, Playstation3, Android Phone/Tablet, Nintendo DS(flashcart). All hacked to do the same things as each other.

That's about the way I see things. I have a cell phone because I'm on after hours call for work, and it does come in handy if I'm out in the middle of buttfark nowhere and my car breaks down or some such, but I rarely use my phone for anything but that.

I want to game, work or whatever? That's what the desktop is for.Email can almost always wait until I'm home or somewhere where I can check it.If I want to watch a movie, or show I do that on my TV or computer.If I want to read a book, I read a book.

I get how they can be handy and all, but it really doesn't fit in with my lifestyle.

Mad_Radhu:Diagonal: Why send text messages? Why not just call and actually talk to someone. To me texting has an underlying premise, "You are important enough for me to pester but not important enough for me to call and talk to. You're basically some kind of flopping appendage that needs occasional attention."

Texts are for giving someone info without getting into a long drawn out conversation. If my wife wants to tell me to pick up some milk on the way home from work, she just sends me a text instead of having to call me just to tell me two words. Or if you're running a few minutes late, you can easily let someone know. It's basically perfect for short bits of information that you need to convey with an urgency that email just doesn't have.

To continue this threadjack, I agree with you. Especially the wife/GF part. If all you need is milk on my way home, a tet is great. When speaking, the politeness in most of us feels it should be an actual conversation. Screw that. We'll talk when I get home.

Also, once my mom figured out how to text, it was a godsend. She sent only the pertinent information, mostly putting to an end all the conversations when she asked if I was wearing clean underwear. If it wasn't your mom, wife, or significant other, we've all known that person who calls to ask a simple question and it turns into a 10 minute ordeal.

CSB: I tried hard about a year ago and I couldn't even give mine away when I called and emailed around. It still had a great picture and was full HD (but component input not HDMI). Trash pickup wouldn't take it, no electronics anymore. City recycling drop-off wouldn't take it either, had to call a private recycler to pick up. Free service but had to wait 2 weeks.

I own a pretty good compromise: the Galaxy Note I. Works almost as good as an SIII but has a huge screen second only to the Note II, whose screen is .2" bigger. The Note also has a stylus, which while stupid sometimes, makes it pretty darn easy to swype quickly.